The CPBL’s Rakuten Monkeys have signed a contract with former MLB southpaw pitcher Brandon Waddell to play for them this year, the club said yesterday.
The 28-year-old was a fifth-round choice by the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2015 draft before making 11 game appearances for four clubs in the major leagues.
He pitched for the Pirates in 2020 and then played for the Minnesota Twins, the Baltimore Orioles and the St Louis Cardinals in 2021.
Photo: AP
Waddell also has experience playing in Asia. He played in South Korea for the Doosan Bears last year, replacing former Korea Baseball Organization Most Valuable Player and former MLB player Ariel Miranda, another lefty, in the middle of the season. Miranda reportedly has issues with his left shoulder.
During Waddell’s stint with the Bears, he made 11 starts out of 11 game appearances, claiming a 5-3 record and an ERA of 3.60.
The Korea JoongAng Daily in July last year reported that Waddell would earn US$200,000 in guaranteed salary for the rest of the season, with up to US$30,000 in incentives also up for grabs by playing for the Bears.
Photo: CNA
Waddell becomes one of two foreign pitchers on the Monkeys’ roster, the other being 33-year-old American right-hander Bradin Hagens, who has been with the club since 2021.
Hagens also has experience playing in the MLB after pitching two games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.
Monkeys general manager Pu Wei-ching said that Waddell is likely to be a starting pitcher.
Waddell and Hagens are undergoing procedures to travel to Taiwan, Pu said, adding that he hopes they will report to the club early next month.
The Monkeys finished last year’s CPBL season on top of the five-team full regular-season standings with a 70-4-46 card, but lost the Taiwan Series to defending champions the CTBC Brothers.
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